“Change of course for the renewables surcharge”

The umbrella organisation German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) has called for a “correction” of privileges regarding the renewables surcharge (EEG-Umlage) for energy-intensive industries, writes Klaus Stratmann in Handelsblatt. Instead of subsidising large-scale energy consumers through the surcharge paid by other consumers, BEE-director Hermann Falk recommends that energy-intensive industries receive grants “directly from the federal budget”. Bulk consumers are often largely exempt from the surcharge of currently 6.35 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) to ensure their competitiveness – in 2016, 2100 companies have saved a total of five billion euros under this scheme. “If more and more companies elude the politically desired conversion of our power supply, other consumers must not be held accountable," Falk said.

Read the article in German (behind paywall) here.

For more information on industry privileges see the CLEW-factsheet Industrial power prices and the Energiewende.